1) Who are the next stars?: Last season’s storybook run still feels a bit too good to be true. Columbia featured so much talent that the Wildcats not only won the state title in their first season in Class 4A, but they sent eight players to the next level. That eight easily could have been nine or 10, with one of their players turning down multiple scholarships to pursue another opportunity and a couple other guys being right on that borderline of being good enough to play college football. That doesn’t even include the fact that their quarterback signed a scholarship to play college baseball.
But that incredible senior class is gone, and now it’s time for new stars to emerge. There are three returners who already classify as stars. DJ Cloyd, who has already committed to Tulane while boasting several other impressive offers, is an absolute beast on both sides of the ball. Jalon Anderson was so good stuffing the run last year as a junior that it was him — not any of the big-name seniors — who earned MVP honors of the State Championship game. And Amarion Fortenberry, the only sophomore to start on the 2021 squad, is the reason Columbia even got a chance to play for the title as he made three touchdown-saving plays in the South State Championship against Poplarville, not to mention all the other great plays he made throughout the season.
But who rises to the top besides those three? Even with losing 22 seniors, Columbia remains loaded with talent, albeit unproven. Kendale Johnson, Collin Haney, Ethan Morris, Isiah Foxworth, Eli Lowery, Landon Fillingame, Deshawn White, Naji Cain, Jashawn Barnes and Tyson Johnson have all showcased the ability to make plays to varying degrees throughout the careers. AJ Lewis and Jeremiah Foxworth have also caught the eye of coaches in recent months and are in that conversation. It’s certainly possible that Columbia will be filled with a bunch of really solid starters who don’t quite reach star status from this group, but knowing Columbia football under head coach Chip Bilderback, that would not be a smart bet to make.
2) Running game: Walter Payton, Jamal Pittman, Fred Peters, Kentrel Bullock, Omar Johnson — the line of running backs has been elite at Columbia with the last three being back-to-back-to-back and all receiving scholarship offers from SEC schools at some point in their journeys. Payton just so happens to be the greatest running back of all time, and Pittman owns all of Columbia’s rushing records.
But for the first time in about a decade, there isn’t a clear heir apparent. With Johnson and Jonathan Wiltz graduated and Miguel Cook back in Texas, the Wildcats will now look to a combination of Fortenberry and Anderson to tote the rock.
Albeit in limited carries (25 carries for 170 yards and two touchdowns), Fortenberry flashed the ability to get the job done during his freshman and sophomore seasons, and he looks bigger, faster and stronger heading into his junior year. Anderson, on the other hand, seems poised to fill the role once held by Wiltz and previously Greg Fortenberry — a tough, hard-nosed runner who is more likely to lower his shoulder through contact than try to make a man miss.
The gaudy numbers Bullock and Johnson put up in recent years shouldn’t be expected. Neither Fortenberry nor Anderson’s best position is running back — they’re both elite defensive players — but that doesn’t mean they won’t make plays and be effective. Columbia’s yard per carry average may drop some from around eight to somewhere around seven, and the Wildcats aren’t going to be nearly as reliant on the running game, but there likely won’t be too noticeable of a drop-off. Both Fortenberry and Anderson possess elite athletic traits that will make them more than effective enough to get the job done even if they’re not natural or traditional running backs.
3) Can they repeat?: Bilderback has been adamant that last year’s success means nothing for the 2022 Wildcats except that the target on their back has only become larger. And he’s right. While there are some holdovers in the starting lineup, this a brand new team with a new dynamic, and this team should be viewed as such.
But at the same time, even if last year’s championship was a one-season award, anybody familiar with Columbia football knows the Wildcats had been building up towards that endgame since Bilderback arrived. They had been right on the doorstep of breaking through for a championship for years, and that foundation of talent, attitude, culture and ultimately success remains heading into the 2022 season.
So can they repeat as 4A champions? Absolutely they can. There’s still a lot of talent in place that has the right kind of attitude, and it’s all paired with a great coaching staff — arguably the best in the state. What it’s going to come down to, though, is how quickly the youngsters can grow up and mature to be able to handle big moments and win close games in the postseason. If they do reach that level of maturation, Columbia has as good of a chance as any other team in 4A to win it all.
